Armed Citizen

NRA.org, October, 2013 – Cristy Vasilakos got into a heated argument with her boyfriend early one morning prior to kicking him out just before 6 a.m. He returned soon thereafter, however, and demanded to be let in. He broke several windows and banged on the front door. The fight moved outside to the sidewalk where the couple continued to argue. The noise woke neighbors, including Vickie Rock, who was staying at her boyfriend’s apartment upstairs. Rock, 50, went outside and tried to intercede when she saw Vasilakos’ boyfriend beating her with a metal object. When he turned on her, Rock pulled out her .45-cal. handgun and fired. He staggered away and was later found dead in a nearby parking lot. (Tampa Bay Times, Riverview, FL, 8/17/13)

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Heather Thompson, 22, had a restraining order against her former boyfriend when he entered her home with a knife and began stabbing her. Michael White, 24, Thompson’s current boyfriend, witnessed the attack and fired his rifle twice. The ex-boyfriend was taken to the hospital, but later died of his injuries. Thompson, who is pregnant, was taken to the hospital as well and treated for multiple stab wounds. She is expected to recover. There were two children in the home at the time of the attack, but no other injuries were reported. (The Post Star, Danby, VT, 6/18/13)

After a day’s work at First National Bank, a woman found herself at gunpoint in her own home. Her husband was being held by the two intruders as well. The assailants abducted the couple and forced them to drive back to the bank and take an undisclosed amount of money, then ordered them to continue driving. It was then that the husband grabbed a gun kept in the vehicle and fired at the suspects before calling 911. Police arrived to find both suspects lying on the ground near the vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. They were taken to the hospital where one suspect was pronounced dead. (Times Record News, Houston, TX, 8/4/13)

Police were dispatched to Pizza Heaven II late one evening to respond to a robbery. The owner of the pizzeria reported that he had just been robbed by two men, one of whom was armed with a rifle. The robbers demanded money from the cash register, which the owner handed over. The suspects then ordered the owner into an office where they demanded more money. Instead, the owner pulled out his own firearm. One of the robbers was so alarmed that he fell backward and dropped his rifle. The owner then chased the two robbers from his business. Both men were later arrested and charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree larceny and conspiracy for both counts. No one was injured in the robbery of the pizzeria. (The New Haven Register, New Haven, CT, 8/20/13)

Shortly before midnight, three men entered Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall brandishing weapons and attempted to rob the polka bar. The owner of the business, Andy Kochanski, pulled out his own firearm and fired on the suspects, killing one. The other two robbers fled the scene, but were later arrested. “I defended myself,” said Kochanski. “I did the shooting. Two guys with guns, what are you going to do? Protect yourself and your customers, that’s what I did.” (The Huffington Post, Milwaukee, WI, 8/19/13)

Rodney Long, 38, an inmate who had escaped from prison, decided to hide out in the home of 71-year-old Jerome Mauderly and his wife Carolyn, 66. He broke into the home around 10:15 p.m. and held the couple hostage as he gathered supplies to aid in his escape. But after four hours, Jerome Mauderly decided to put up a fight and retrieved his shotgun. Mauderly fired a single shot before a 911 call was made shortly after 2 a.m. Police arrived to find Long lying face down in the kitchen of the Mauderlys’ home with a fatal gunshot wound, putting an end to the manhunt. Long was serving time on a burglary charge and was suspected of shooting a sheriff’s deputy after his escape from prison. The Mauderlys sustained no injuries. (The Huffington Post, Bedford, IA, 8/21/13)

John Hunt was outside washing his car with his two sons around 7 p.m. when they were approached by two armed men. One of the men put his gun to the neck of Hunt’s son, Marcus, and said, “You know what time it is.” Marcus ran into a nearby yard and the suspect followed him, taking a necklace and a large amount of cash. He then fired a shot at Marcus. Meanwhile, Hunt had gone inside and retrieved his 9 mm handgun. Hunt quickly returned to the scene and fired at both suspects, striking one in the chest and the other in the thigh. After being treated, both men were arrested and are now facing charges of first-degree robbery. (The Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY, 7/30/13)